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Elliot Perry says pairing Ja Morant with Jaren Jackson Jr. would be good start for rebuild

Be it by fate or by luck, the Memphis Grizzlies landed the No. 2 overall pick in Tuesday night’s NBA Draft Lottery. At this point, it’s not clear which prospect the team has their eye on, but director of player support Elliot Perry seems to like the idea of pairing Ja Morant with Jaren Jackson.

In a recent interview with The Undefeated, Perry noted that Morant and Jackson could be a tandem worth building the team’s future around:

“I love the way he plays,” Perry said of Morant. “I will leave the selecting up to the guys that make the pick. But if you look at the way he played, with a lot of excitement, passion and toughness, that is what we need. You pair him with J.J. [Jaren Jackson] and you got two young guys with our franchise that we can build around.”

Morant, now 19 years of age, is viewed as one of the best players available in the upcoming draft. He played two seasons at Murray State, averaging 24.5 points on 49.9 percent shooting (36.3 percent from beyond the arc), 10.0 assists and 5.7 rebounds in his sophomore stint.

Barring any unforeseen changes, Morant will likely be available for the Grizzlies at the No. 2 spot, as Duke’s Zion Williamson is projected to go first overall.

A pairing of Morant and Jackson would make for a promising future in Memphis. Let’s see if this plan comes to fruition.